The moderating role of mindfulness in the relationship between dimensions of emotional labor and psychological wellbeing of employees in civil society organizations in Kampala

Abstract

Globally, workers in service-oriented work engage in some form of emotion regulation, also known as emotional labour, as a strategy to keep customers and employers happy, despite studies revealing that this practice has a dark side on psychological wellbeing of such employees. In response, mindfulness has been advanced as one of the ways to maintain wellness, even among emotional labourers. This study examined the moderating effect of mindfulness in the relationship between the two dimensions of emotional labor – surface acting and deep acting, and psychological wellbeing of employees in civil society organizations in Kampala. It was guided by four objectives and hypotheses. The quantitative correlational study design involved 144 respondents. Convenience sampling method was used to select participants. To collect the data, already developed and standardized questionnaires with an already tested reliability and validity were used. Statistical package for social scientists (SPSSV23) was used for analyzing data for the descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that surface acting is significantly and negatively related to mindfulness and psychological wellbeing. On the contrary, deep acting was found to be significantly and positively related to mindfulness and psychological wellbeing. Regression results showed that mindfulness does not moderate the relationship between the two emotional labor facets and psychological wellbeing. Therefore, the results imply that mindfulness does not suppress the effects of surface acting nor does deep acting boost its effects on psychological wellbeing outcomes among civil society workers. The study recommends a follow-on study with a larger sample to shade more light on the topic.